ASSEMBLY POLLS

Jharkhand Assembly polls phase 2: Voting underway for 38 seats

Ranchi: Voting for 38 assembly seats in the second and final phase of Jharkhand elections began on Wednesday amid tight security. Polling commenced at 7 am across 14,218 booths in 12 districts and will continue until 5 pm. In 31 select booths, voting will conclude an hour earlier at 4 pm, but those in the queue at the time will still be allowed to cast their vote, officials told PTI.

A total of 1.23 crore voters, including 60.79 lakh women and 147 third-gender electors, are eligible to participate. Prominent candidates in this phase include Chief Minister and JMM leader Hemant Soren, his wife Kalpana Soren, and BJP’s Leader of Opposition Amar Kumar Bauri.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged voters to turn out in large numbers. In a post on X, he said, "Today is the second and last phase of the great festival of democracy in Jharkhand. I urge all voters to participate enthusiastically and create a new record. A special congratulations to young voters casting their ballots for the first time. Your vote strengthens the state."

Eighteen constituencies are located in the Santhal Pargana region, covering Godda, Deoghar, Dumka, Jamtara, Sahibganj, and Pakur districts. The remaining seats fall in the North and South Chotanagpur divisions.

Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar highlighted special arrangements for inclusivity, with 239 polling stations managed entirely by women and 22 staffed by persons with disabilities (PwDs).

The ruling JMM-led INDIA bloc aims to retain power by leveraging welfare initiatives, while the BJP-led NDA is striving for a comeback. The first phase of elections took place on November 13, and the counting of votes is scheduled for November 23.